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Quote by Philippe Falardeau

“Getting it off the ground is one thing because it has to do with finding the proper people and the financing, but finding the subject is another thing and this is always for me the most difficult part.”

Quote by Philippe Falardeau

Author

Philippe Falardeau

Philippe Falardeau (born 1968) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter from Quebec. He is best known for his film Monsieur Lazhar (2011), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His works often explore themes of immigration, education, and identity, characterized by emotional depth and social relevance. Falardeau has directed several acclaimed films, including The Good Lie and My Internship in Canada, and is recognized as a key figure in contemporary Canadian cinema. more

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“When I want to tackle a story or a subject, I always ask myself three questions: Is it important to talk about that? Will it interest other people than just me? Can I live with that for three or four years because that's how long it takes to do the project, to write the script, and to direct it, and then to do this.”

People Want Writing Years Long Important Stories Three Asks Interest Four Subjects Projects Direct Scripts Four Years

Author:Philippe Falardeau

“One particular night I was at the theater. I was not scouting for a project, but I was touched by this play by Évelyne de la Chenelière. I was touched by the character. I thought it was a rich character that could be rich enough for a movie.”

Enough Play Character Night Rich Particular Projects Theater Touched Scouting

Author:Philippe Falardeau

“I was interested in immigration and I wanted to use that in the film, not necessarily to talk about immigrants, although I wanted to do that, but to talk about ourselves through the eyes of an immigrant. The film takes place in the school and it tells us a little bit about who we are and where we're at, but through the eyes of someone who has a different background.”

Littles Different Use Eye Wanted School Film Bits Little Bit Backgrounds Immigration Who We Are Immigrants Through The Eyes Different Backgrounds

Author:Philippe Falardeau

“If you're writing a screenplay from scratch, it involves a lot of creation. In this play, I had a strong main character and it involved some creation around him. That's what I like about adapting that particular play because I added some maneuvering space as a scriptwriter to invent my own things.”

Ifs Writing Play Character Strong My Own Space Creation Particular Involved Scratches Screenplays Adapting Main Characters

Author:Philippe Falardeau

“I needed to create some dramatic tension to sustain the interest of the audience. For instance, the boy in the film is not in the play, so this relationship that he had with the former teacher, and his guilt, this is not at all in the play. I thought it would be interesting to look at in the film, and I added stuff like that around the main character. For me, it was not more difficult or less difficult.”

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Author:Philippe Falardeau

“In the private system and the private schools, the principal is pretty much a dictator. He or she can hire whoever s/he wants. Of course, in the movie, in the story, she makes a mistake by hiring him. But, if she doesn't, I have no story.”

Ifs Want Stories School Courses Mistake Dictator Principal Hiring Private School

Author:Philippe Falardeau

“Any place where you have to deal with many social actors like a school - you have the parents, the Ministry of Education, the school board, and the teachers - you need all kinds of sets and rules. You're trying to foresee anything that can happen and everything becomes really rigid. They don't want to talk about death because they don't want to overwhelm the children, but that has already happened, so you're not going to overwhelm them more.”

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Author:Philippe Falardeau

“We also have this reflex of using specialists for everything, instead of having the person who is there every day with them, the teacher, talk about death and suicide. In the film, it's portrayed a little bit like a caricature, but it's the psychologist who comes in and Monsieur Lazhar does not think it's a good idea. He thinks he should be the one who should talk about that with the children.”

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Author:Philippe Falardeau

“It's a romantic view of Canada. It's like Michael Moore saying we don't lock our doors in Canada. I lock my door mainly because my girlfriend wants me to lock the door, but mind you we lock our doors. It is a little simplistic to say that we blend easily back home with other cultures. It's difficult, but I think it's mainly a big city phenomenon.”

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Author:Philippe Falardeau

“In the province of Quebec where I come from, we speak French and the only cosmopolitan city is Montreal. Every time we tackle the subject of immigration and racial tension, it's an issue that concerns Montreal. Also, in Quebec, we have this added issue that we want people to speak French, because French is always on the verge of disappearing to some extent. I work, play and do everything in French.”

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Author:Philippe Falardeau